Party of Five
by KittenFair
Summary: Modern AU, MMO AU. Five young men meet and bond over the new MMO Gaiaforsaken..
1. Game Start

**A/N:** This is a modern-AU born on Tumblr... what if AGSZC bonded over playing an MMO?

* * *

 _Gaiaforsaken_ had barely been out a month before one of the PR people contacted Genesis about giving a review. Given his brothers had been talking about nothing else for the past six months until they could finally play it themselves, and had been badgering him constantly to give it a try, he decided he'd make an exception to his usual genres and take a look.

That ended up requiring locking himself in his loft, however, because they were nosy little brats. "I'm biased enough, go _away!_ "

"Just make sure you're on the Deepground server!" Weiss said, hopefully heading off to check his own toons.

At this point, Genesis really didn't care. He checked the charge on his phone, grabbed his headset, and settled in to check the game - looked like it was fully installed. _Perfect._

The opening scenes were good, he thought they set the stage for the game well - or hoped they did, at least, or he would be terribly disappointed. For now, favorable note. Of course, then he got to create his character - a knight, why not? - and felt his eyes widen slightly at the customization screen. Because there were _sliders_ , before ever getting to the body itself, including for _color_ \- and there were presets, yes, but who wanted presets with graphics like _this?_ He wanted to be able to be picked out of a crowd without a glance at his name plate.

Two hours and some significant cackling later, he was quite pleased with the outcome.

Now for a name, and that was nearly as hard.

 _Crimson_ was taken - of course it was. And he couldn't very well go playing on anything with much literary merit as a _knight,_ that just wouldn't do. Hm… what about…

 _Crimson-rapier._

The screen flashed, name accepted, and the next scene started, getting into class-specific storyline. Apocalyptic conditions, trying to maintain order amidst the chaos of the world governments collapsing and all sorts of scavengers and bandits taking advantage… influx of monsters requiring some sword-for-hire assistance… interesting, if a bit predictable. And barring something with actual factions, he supposed that the setup made sense, but it was a bit ironic given they were so quick to say they weren't really for roleplayers. It would be interesting to see if there was enough lore to make use of, or if they really had taken the _rpg_ out of MMORPG.

The opening view was nice, sweeping in over lush hills and a little town, leading up to the castle, then on to the barracks - tutorial area, he'd almost bet on it. But not bad, not bad at all. The music was definitely a pleasure, that would get top marks if they maintained that. And _ooh,_ now those were some nicely chosen voice actors… he quite liked that. Probably a lot of stock phrases, but that was standard.

He did decide, in fairly short order, that the apparent-ideal for the Paladin class was far, _far_ too righteous. He could never play it seriously. But a straight knight, do some brawling… that had appeal. Of course, maybe he should have rolled a rogue instead. But there was time for that, plenty of character slots - and _that_ got tremendous points. He hated being penned in. This was just the test run, after all, to review. If he liked it enough, maybe he'd get to doing the other classes.

Getting through all the cut scenes and initial nonsense was nice, though the early gear left much to be desired for aesthetics. Very bulky. He'd have to see about replacing that… it made quite the case for playing other classes, see if they were better off. And being a mage did offer the option to set things on fire. Who didn't want to set things, and some people, on fire?

"GENESIS!"

Speaking of… good god, how loud was he yelling to hear over his headset? " _What?_ "

"What's your name? Are you through the tut yet? You can just press space and skip the monologues and stuff, there's a quest log that'll give you enough detail," Weiss said, still shouting.

"Excuse you, some of us like the ambiance of it. And I'm doing a _professional review,_ damn it, I'm not going to skip things and _lie._ " Genesis sniffed in disdain, rolling his eyes. "I'll be ready when I'm ready, you don't need to know who I am on there, damn it."

"It's an MMO, you _play with people,_ " Nero spoke up, though apparently he'd figured out Genesis could hear them fine from the lack of shouting. "Besides, we have experience and can show you around. You don't want to be a noob, do you?"

"As I understand it, 'noobs' are _rude_ beginners, I think I'll be fine," Genesis drawled. "Get lost and let me play, for heaven's sake. I'll change servers if you two don't quit pushing, don't think I won't."

"You're our brother, you belong on Deepground - we have a whole _guild,_ " Weiss argued.

"You are getting on my nerves, Weiss, go _away._ " He put a note of steel in his voice, warning him to back off. Pest that he was, he stomped away. Gods forbid Weiss didn't get his way, he'd have Nero pouting at him too for upsetting beloved big brother. Whatever, he was the oldest and he'd do whatever the hell he wanted.

Playing as a knight for another twenty minutes, Genesis decided what the hell he wanted was to roll something else. Maybe a mage, he liked the look of them. Even the relatively plain starting robes were nicer than the ragtag armor, and between setting fire to things and summoning beasts… oh yes. That would be _much_ more fun….

And he'd talked some in Genchat - Deepground just wasn't very welcoming. It looked like all anyone cared about was levelling and beating the shit out of each other. _Not_ his idea of a good time. He took a peek at the server lists, briefly tempted by _Pen and Sword,_ but finally decided that he'd try out the ShinRa server next. As a _mage._

'Firagan' had a nice ring to it.


	2. The More The Merrier

**A/N:** Reminder that this is something I've built off a Tumblr prompt, so I didn't pick the original classes for AGSZC.

* * *

The Shinra server turned out to be a _much_ better experience, not the least of which being the lack of his brothers and their nosy, bloodthirsty guild. General chat was generally interesting and at least not boring or obnoxious, and there always seemed to be someone willing to group for quests - reasonably competent someones, for the most part, which was a delightful realization. Of course there were idiots, but wherever there were people there would be idiots, so Genesis wasn't terribly upset with things staying true to life.

On his way in from town, he did run across what had to be a relatively new knight having some clear issues jumping up a set of narrow ledges on a cliffside to reach a prime patch of crafting material, however. Genesis stayed put, watching from nearby and trying to decide if he felt more pity or amusement. The body type on the knights just did not lend itself to the simple physics of the act, and he decided it would be better to send a whisper and try to be helpful. Kinder than just standing there, certainly.

 _[Whisper] Firagan: You need a hand with that, knight?_

The poor idiot fell right off the meager progress he'd made at the ping. There was a long pause before he replied.

 _[Whisper] Valerian: Honestly I'm about ready to give up on it. There's got to be other areas to harvest from. But thanks._

Oh now he just felt bad about it.

 _[Whisper] Firagan: No, really I don't mind. Can't say I expected to see a knight harvesting herbs but if that's your thing by all means. Let me._

Genesis maneuvered his toon over, angling himself carefully up. But with a knight who had _agriculture_ , named after an _herb,_ he just had to ask…

 _[Whisper] Firagan: So, alchemy?_

 _[Whisper] Valerian: Struck me as interesting. And I can't heal myself otherwise so it's practical._

 _[Whisper] Firagan: So it wasn't a play on the name?_

He took a moment to harvest the clump of herbs, hopping back down to initiate a trade.

 _[Whisper] Valerian: No, trying to manage myself. I'm not the best. How much are these selling for? You did the work._

Genesis snorted at the thought of trying to hunt down the prices, or that someone would _knew_ \- maybe someone who was more into crafting than he was would, perhaps.

 _[Whisper] Firagan: Consider it on the house, I'm far too lazy to look it up. It wasn't bad for me._

 _[Whisper] Valerian: Are you sure? That's very nice, thank you._

Well lo and behold, a polite gardener-knight. That was almost cute.

 _[Whisper] Firagan: I try to limit the devouring of souls to my enemies and you seem like a nice guy who could use a break. Jumping is not for everyone._

 _[Whisper] Valerian: Yeah it's not something I do well on here. I appreciate the help, Firagan!_

 _[Whisper] Firagan: Absolutely. Have a good run._

He offered an elaborate bow, got a cheery wave in return - that really looked just a bit ridiculous on the body type of the male knight, but that wasn't his call and it was an utterly fantastic character model otherwise - and headed off to see if he couldn't find some interesting trouble to get into in town.

The bar was probably one of his favorite non-action locations in the game. There was always lively chat there, including half-assed roleplay and it was just a good place to go find someone to group up with. It was also apparently where the possibly most extroverted knight in existence loved to start his sessions.

* * *

Wolfe's toon rolled through the doors, leaving them flapping, and promptly did a cheesy little dance and flip.

 _[General] Wolfe: HEY SHINRA! You miss me?_

 _[General] Infodump: Always, Wolfe. You're the light of our lives._

That was apparently cue for some more dancing, up on a table that the rogue in question was sitting at, which made Genesis snicker. He moved his toon over to a vendor to sell some gear he'd outgrown and the extra loot he'd gathered so far, wanting to see about some upgrades before getting back into the area he'd been working his way through. A snatch of chat caught his eye, though, and he scrolled through to see what was going on.

 _[General] Wolfe: So I figured if I could get a big enough group together we totally ought to go after something massive. We could start a little smaller to warm up but I'd love to just crash through some bosses._

 _[General] Infodump: I'm good for that, I've got a few hours to blow before I have to do anything. See about a group._

 _[Shout] Wolfe: YO SHINRA WHO WANTS TO BEAT SOME MONSTER ASS WITH ME?_

 _[General] Infodump: You don't actually have to do caps when you /shout_

 _[General] Wolfe: But it feels so much more authentic!_

 _[General] Bigred: Hey I've got a group I've got already, 1 tank, 3 assorted dps. We're good to roll out._

 _[General] Wolfe: Awesome! Classes?_

 _[General] Bigred: Lilciss, Tsuperior and I are rogues, Shaded is a knight._

 _[General] Wolfe: Epic, I'll grab you four right off._

 _[General] Wolfe: You guys have to leave your group first._

 _[General] Tsuperior: We're good to go. You're at the inn?_

 _[General] Wolfe: Oh yeah!_

 _[Shout] Wolfe: ANYONE WANTING IN ON THIS BEATDOWN COME TO THE INN!_

Genesis shook his head, amused by the sheer enthusiasm Wolfe had. Well… it sounded like something he might enjoy. Why not?

* * *

Two hours into the "epic boss beatdown" and Genesis had to say that he would be citing the Shinra server - possibly by name - in his review as an example of a good time. Bigred and Wolfe were running an absolute circus of about eighteen people that was just barely organized but _god,_ it was fun. They wiped twice on the first boss before they hit their stride, and at least one person ragequit, but he suspected another was just having connection issues since they'd warned ahead of time they were lagging. And given there had been some amusing moments of very odd movement of their mount, he believed it.

Thankfully, between his lovely beast of a machine and some good wifi, there was not going to be any lagging for _him._

It _felt_ a little like it, though, as people petered off and they waited to try and fill in gaps.

 _[Ops] Bigred: Looks like we need some more fodder. You wanna get in /shout again, Wolfe? My boy Crackshot will be on in a couple hours but he's got some work first._

 _[Ops] Wolfe: Yeah can do._

 _[Shout] Wolfe: HEY SHINRA! WE NEED MORE PEOPLE FOR OUR EPIC BOSS BEATDOWN. PST ME OR BIGRED TO JOIN!_

 _[Ops] Infodump: Really man, the caps. No._

 _[Ops] Wolfe: I do it for authenticity._

 _[Ops] Infodump: You do it because you're loud and obnoxious._

 _[Ops] Wolfe: Lies and slander!_

There was a certain feel, in Genesis' personal opinion, when you had players that knew each other. Whether or not Wolfe and Infodump had ever met in the flesh, he had a feeling they'd "known each other" long enough to count. Maybe even through _Gaiaforsaken_ itself, gods knew this sort of nonsense had a way of bringing people together if you lasted long enough.

 _[Ops] Bigred: We could use another tank and some heals, way too many pure dps for this guy._

 _[Ops] Tsuperior: We need a debuff and teamspeak if we're going to take the last pair on your list. Those aren't casual raids._

Looking at the list and doing a little cross check told Genesis that was a bit of an understatement. Clearly Wolfe liked his targets like he liked his teams - big and unruly. It looked like something good to try, just… later on, perhaps. And maybe in a few more levels so he could pull his weight.

 _[Ops] Firagan: And probably a lot more time. I'd be good for setting up a raid to do later though._

 _[Ops] Wolfe: Alright that's fair I guess. It was fun though! Anyone sets something else up give me a call, yeah? I'll be on a while._

 _[Ops] Bigred: Yeah, listed you. Maybe later tonight I'll see if anybody else gets on._

 _[Ops] Infodump: Should probably break for food anyway. Don't know where you're at but it's dinner time here._

 _[Ops] Firagan: Same. Had a good run, look me up when you get another group together later._

It sounded like _fun._


	3. I'll Make a Tank Out of You

**A/N:** Obviously, I made up _Gaiaforsaken_ so it's actually a mismatched ode to several MMOs. That said, there's some real terms and mechanics used even though I tried to simplify things. If any of it is confusing, let me know and I'll try to clear it up!

* * *

It had been two months and the article was long turned in, but Genesis had surprised himself by continuing to play _Gaiaforsaken._ He hadn't intended to get caught up in the game, but between the lore, the graphics and the mechanics, he was _hooked_.

He'd also made some friends on the Shinra server, and frankly getting to see them at the end of the day was easily one of the highlights of his evening. The ping and alert whenever Wolfe came on made him grin; the knight had proven himself always up for a good time with little to no notice, and regularly managed to pull groups together for raids. They were actually in the process of discussing what they might hit up through Whisper when Genesis was distracted by another familiar face - the polite but rather hapless knight he'd met his first day.

He'd climbed a whopping eight levels.

In two _months._

Genesis watched what was quite possibly the most awkward fight he'd witnessed in real time before stepping in, sending a fireball roaring across the plain and taking out the considerably lower leveled mob. As it keeled over, the knight turned to face him.

 _[Whisper] Valerian: Thank you._

 _[Whisper] Firagan: Np. Listen, do you need some help getting exp?_

 _[Whisper] Valerian: I think you'd get bored fighting on my level._

 _[Whisper] Firagan: I have a friend who wants to redo some of the raids close to your level for achievements, it's no problem._

There was a pause, and Genesis wondered if it was an ego thing. There was a _type_ for each class, in general, and most of the ones he'd known to play tank were definitely the sort who didn't take well to having it implied they needed help - never mind how very, very clear it was that he _did._ And he was sure Wolfe would be happy to have one more along, especially since they were both so much more experienced that they would be able to pull his weight and then some on the raids he'd had in mind.

 _[Whisper] Valerian: Are you sure?_

 _[Whisper] Firagan: Absolutely. Wolfe never says no to a raid, and he needs to beat the Mire Serpent a few more times for something. Really._

 _[Whisper] Valerian: Alright, I'd really appreciate it! I'm not very practiced, as you can tell._

 _[Whisper] Firagan: Experience only comes from experiences. Give me a minute._

He had no doubt that Wolfe would be completely on board, he'd been talking about taking down the Mire Serpent not ten minutes ago for at least two achievements. But he did still need to find out if he was available _right_ then.

 _[Whisper] Firagan: If you still want to do the Mire Serpent, I've got a lvl 18 knight who could really use some exp._

 _[Whisper] Wolfe: You bet! I was just talking to Infodump. He's got the achievements because of course he does. But we could totally do it!_

 _[Whisper] Firagan: Great. We'll meet you outside the zone._

 _[Whisper] Wolfe: Awesome, hey group us up!_

It didn't take more than a moment to do so, entering the two knights' names and watching their icons pop up on the side of his screen.

 _[Group] Wolfe: WHOO! Hey guys!_

 _[Group] Valerian: Hi! Thanks for the help._

 _[Group] Wolfe: Np man, I really wanted to take this guy on again anyway - need a few more kills for my 'Snake in the Grass' achievement! Meet you and Firagan in the zone in a minute, just selling some loot._

 _[Group] Firagan: We're not far from it, I'll get us there._

It was really less than a minute to take their toons across the plain towards the swampy area the Mire Snake instance was in, though when you were used to travel by mount it felt _so_ much slower. It did mean there wasn't much waiting for Wolfe to arrive, however, charging in on his Stormbird, dark plumage contrasting sharply with his armor.

It was due to be a fairly quick battle, with both Wolfe and Genesis ten to twenty levels over the boss, but it still took time to take out the Mirelings as they spawned. Perhaps it was because it was so relaxed at the moment that Genesis could focus on the playing style of the two tanks he was grouped with. Wolfe was a menace, even against a lower level opponent there was no let up on the ferocity he brought to everything he did. He was in constant motion to nimbly avoid any traps with the grace of experience, well timed taunts keeping the enemies off of them, and not a moment's hesitation between his abilities.

Valerian on the other hand… well, he was trying. It was obvious he was trying. But it was just as clear that he didn't know what he was doing. He'd nearly killed himself twice standing in the danger zones even once they'd flared up red patterns on the ground, and didn't seem to really know where he fit in beyond 'try and do damage' - which wasn't wrong, exactly, but he suspected if Wolfe hadn't been established as the greatest threat by doing exponentially more damage, he'd have pulled some of the mobs off him. The fact that Valerian made it out alive had nothing to do with his own ability and was almost painful to watch.

He was still trying to think of how, exactly, to address that when Wolfe beat him to it.

 _[Group] Wolfe: Look, I don't mean this bad but you really kinda suck._

It wasn't that Wolfe was _wrong,_ but Genesis felt almost obligated to knock some manners into him - only then he continued, with his typical quick response time beating even him out.

 _[Group] Wolfe: Why don't we stay grouped and I can teach you some stuff?_

There was a long pause, and Genesis erased his retort, waiting to see what Valerian would say. It was a great offer, learning from one of the best tanks on the server, and he _really_ could use the help.

 _[Group] Valerian: If you're sure you've got the time for it, I'd really love the help. I've never played a game like this before and I think the tutorial was made for people with a little more experience than me._

 _[Group] Firagan: Strategy is something that isn't really explained in-game. You get the bare bones._

 _[Group] Wolfe: Yeah seriously it's probably easier not to know what you're doing than to know it._

 _[Group] Wolfe: Me, I migrated over from playing Calamity Strikes and it has a pretty similar combat system so I had a definite advantage._

 _[Group] Valerian: I will take all the help you're willing to give me. It's a nice game, but I'd enjoy it more if it wasn't such a struggle._

 _[Group] Wolfe: You got it, Val! So, first things first, I was watching you some and you pulled what looked like Righteous Strike - that's a Paladin-only move. So, if you're actually a Paladin then you are geared totally wrong._

 _[Group] Valerian: Yes, I am a Paladin. What's wrong with my gear?_

 _[Group] Wolfe: Paladins are definitely good tanks, sometimes even more than knights, but you need to make sure your gear is heavier on STAM than STR._

 _[Group] Valerian: I think maybe you need to just assume I know absolutely nothing._

 _[Group] Wolfe: Okay. STAM = Stamina = how many hits you can take. STR = Strength = how much damage you're dishing out when you hit. Come on, 'port back to town with me and we'll give you a quick rundown at a vendor. I'll buy._

 _[Group] Valerian: I can't ask you to buy me new gear._

 _[Group] Wolfe: You're not asking. I'm making you regear, so it makes sense that I'd be the one to pay. Look, I'm loaded, it's fine. C'mon, both of you. You need anything Fira?_

 _[Group] Firagan: Not until I hit next level, but thanks._

They teleported back to Kalm Town, and Genesis watched Wolfe completely refit Valerian with gear that fit his level and class, patiently explaining the statistics and why everything was important. It reminded him of back when he'd played his first MMO _years_ ago, introducing his brothers to it and walking them through the process of learning how to play. Funny how even after going so long without playing and picking up a new game, most of it was coming back for him. But not having any background at all, it was no wonder Valerian was struggling. He'd gotten very lucky indeed to get such a patient and skilled teacher as Wolfe.

 _[Group] Wolfe: Okay so, now you're geared and you know what to look for when you buy your upgrades, right?_

 _[Group] Valerian: I took notes, so I should be fine._

 _[Group] Wolfe: Oh, well if you're gonna do that it might be faster to hit your PrtScr and just take screenshots. You should be able to find them under Documents/Gaiaforsaken/Screenshots unless you changed the default._

 _[Group] Valerian: I'm seeing the folder, yeah. Okay cool, thanks. Now what?_

 _[Group] Wolfe: Now we're going to do some actual fighting and teach you about this tanking business. But first, let's find ourselves a healer. I've got just the guy._

 _[Group] Wolfe: Fira, add Seraph to the group, pls._

Genesis arched a brow, a little surprised. Seraph was, as far as he could tell, the best healer they had on the server. There had even been comments during several raids he'd been in whenever the guy showed up that it was considered half the battle over. He never had much to say, so it was hard to say anything about him as a person, but he'd maxed out his levels as a white mage and was apparently at least friendly with Wolfe. Assuming he'd been talked to, he sent the invite, and Seraph's icon joined the other two.

 _[Group] Wolfe: AWESOME! Thanks, Seraph. We're in Kalm Town and going to head back down to the Mire Snake instance._

 _[Group] Seraph: Are you still chasing those achievements?_

 _[Group] Wolfe: You know it! But we've got a new tank that needs some help. See you down there?_

 _[Group] Seraph: Sure._

At the teleport-point, there was the glimmer of someone arriving, and Seraph's nameplate blinked into existence a moment before his character materialized from wherever he had been. Dressed in the traditional white and gold robes of a white mage, the most eye catching thing about Seraph's toon was the six large wings sprouting from his back, a rare sight given they'd only been released as an incentive for preorders. Fortunately, the animation did have them fold in when he walked, taking up less space as he came over to join them.

 _[Group] Seraph: I'm ready._

 _[Group] Wolfe: WOOT! Alright, everybody mount up._

 _[Group] Wolfe: Hey, wait do you have one Val? We can get you one here._

 _[Group] Valerian: No, I haven't gotten myself a mount yet._

 _[Group] Wolfe: Man gotta fix that. Okay let me go back by the stables, I'll just get you a horse. BRB!_

There was a long silence as he summoned his own mount and trotted off to go talk to the mount vendor.

 _[Whisper] Valerian: Your friend is really generous! I didn't expect all this._

 _[Whisper] Firagan: Yes he is. What he wants more than anything is everyone to have a good time._

 _[Whisper] Valerian: He's showing me all the mounts and asking which one I want. I didn't realize there were that many options._

 _[Whisper] Firagan: The customization on the game is really good. You can get even more skins for them if you're willing to pay._

 _[Whisper] Valerian: I had no idea._

Genesis had to chuckle a little, thinking that there was clearly a _lot_ of surprises due for Valerian today.

 _[Group] Wolfe: OK! I've got Val a mount. Let me trade you real quick. Just hit accept, I don't need any gold for it. Seriously._

 _[Group] Valerian: Thank you so much!_

There was the traditional 'poof' animation, and suddenly Valerian was sitting atop what looked a lot like a massive white Clydesdale, one of the more popular mounts for early Paladins. There was definitely a type there.

 _[Group] Wolfe: Now you're stylin! Okay, down to the Mire Snake! Last one there buys drinks at the Inn!_

 _[Group] Seraph: I think I'm insulted that you think you'll need them._

 _[Group] Wolfe: Psh. I just like the buff. You know you're my favorite heals._

 _[Group] Seraph: Hn. Lead on._


	4. Slay With Me

The benefits of having a mount were numerous, including easily outrunning any enemies accidentally triggered on their way down to the instance they needed to be in. Some were more tenacious than others, but Genesis made quick work of the small set that was still following them when they stopped, Wolfe taking a moment to run around the area presumably to make sure nothing else would come bother them.

 _[Group] Wolfe: OK! Tanking lessons. Let's get a few things set before we actually head into the instance. First off, your job as a tank is going to be to take hits. That's all it boils down to, at the very core. Tanks take hits, because we've got more HP and STAM than our squishy healers like Ser or slightly less squishy DPS like Fira._

 _[Group] Valerian: Remember what I said about pretending I know nothing?_

There was a pause, and Genesis had a feeling Wolfe was reevaluating that it was very likely Valerian was actually very close to knowing nothing. It would explain a lot.

 _[Group] Wolfe: Right, okay. You and me? We're what's called tanks. We take hits because we have the stats to let us - like health and stamina. Seraph's a healer, if he gets attacked he will die much more quickly because his stats are all tied up in things that boost his magic so he can do healing._

 _[Group] Wolfe: Firagan is what's called DPS, his job is to beat the crap out of people, so his stats go into his own strengths, but his stamina and health still isn't where ours are and he will also die faster if enemies target him. Okay so far?_

 _[Group] Valerian: How do they level up if enemies kill them so fast?_

 _[Group] Wolfe: It's not so bad just fighting monsters randomly on the map, even Ser has attacks. It's when you get in the big fights that they run into trouble. We all need each other during those fights. When you go in, you need at least three people, one from each kind. The tank, the DPS and the healer. Here's how it works:_

 _[Group] Wolfe: We go in, and make sure the boss attacks us at all times, because we've got the stats to survive. But just in case, the healer makes sure we stay alive. At the same time, the DPS attacks the boss and is the one who ends up doing the most damage and killing it. You usually want more than one DPS actually, but we're overleveled so one will do._

 _[Group] Valerian: So we don't fight?_

 _[Group] Wolfe: We fight, but we don't do as much damage as fast as a DPS will - that's what it stands for, "damage-per-second." And against a boss you need a ton of damage done, they've got more HP than monsters on the same level. If this boss wasn't so far under most of our levels we would need more than one DPS with us. We don't actually need Ser but I wanted you to get a feel for how a real raid works while there's not as much pressure._

 _[Group] Valerian: Okay. So my job is to just attack it first so it attacks me and not them?_

 _[Group] Wolfe: Yeah. You also have special moves called "taunts" that keep your threat up so it keeps attacking you. I've never rolled a Paladin but you can hover over your moves and the description will tell you._

 _[Group] Firagan: Let me just look it up._

He had a feeling that Valerian would do better having everything spelled out at this point, even if it sounded like he was keeping up with Wolfe's explanations. How much of that would stick while they were in live combat, he didn't know. But a quick google was all he needed to get a rundown on what abilities a Paladin should have, some basics that were unlocked early.

 _[Group] Firagan: Alright, so you have Righteous Wrath already which you want on to increase your threat from attacking. You can activate that early and it will help keep the enemies on you. Doesn't look like it wears off either. For actual taunts I'm only seeing Call of Challenge. You use that periodically to keep enemies focused on you._

 _[Group] Wolfe: Cool thanks. Do you see those, Val?_

 _[Group] Valerian: Yes I found them._

 _[Group] Wolfe: Awesome. So those are the ones you want to make sure stay on when you're working as the main tank. Just use them whenever you need them. Got the gist of it?_

 _[Group] Valerian: I think so._

 _[Group] Wolfe: Awesome, let's try it out. You keep the attack on you, and Fira can try lower level attacks to drag it out and get a feel for it. If something goes wrong, I'll hop in, okay? You've got a safety net this time._

They headed into the instance, but it was clear fairly quickly that something was still confusing. And unfortunately, with the ability to just do more damage by default, even on his weakest attacks, Genesis found himself the one under fire. Not that he couldn't handle the boss at this level, but it was ruining their goal of helping Valerian learn.

 _[Group] Firagan: This isn't working. The gap is too big. I'm pulling by sheer damages no matter how much threat he's trying to maintain._

 _[Group] Wolfe: Right, yeah okay. Look, we just need to level him up some._

 _[Group] Seraph: I think at this point it would be faster to get three new characters to his level. I have a healer in his range from when I thought I'd try being an Ancient._

 _[Group] Valerian: I couldn't ask you all to do that. I'll pick it up._

 _[Group] Wolfe: Nah man he's right. I can level up another knight pretty fast. What do you say Fira?_

Genesis considered it. He didn't want to stay on a new character, but it really didn't take _that_ long to level up, especially if they had a party to work with under a bonus. And it would definitely be the quickest way to get Valerian used to what he'd need to do.

 _[Group] Firagan: Yeah I'm in. Let me make up another mage and I'll whisper when I get in so we can group back up._

 _[Group] Seraph: I'll be right back with Wingedancient._

Really, the longest part was just making up another character, and even that he rushed a little since he had no intention of keeping it. He stuck with a mage, knowing he'd level that the fastest for familiarity, and went with _Hellfiragan_ as a quick name, clicking through the opening scenes - no need to watch the same thing a third time.

 _[Whisper] Hellfiragan: Valerian? It's Firagan. I'm ready to group._

The invite came after a brief pause, and apparently he was last in, and he could see the nameplate of what had to be Wolfe's alt, Wolfe-pup, getting some quests in the main square.

 _[Group] Wingedancient: You two start hitting up targets. Get an exp+ on if you can. I'll work with Valerian._

 _[Group] Wolfe-pup: Oh! I've got a couple in my legacy inventory, one sec._

He certainly wasn't going to say no to getting through the levels with a boost, given this was a temporary character. Odds were good with a proper boost on top of a subscriber's boost and someone to go through it with they'd catch up enough in a couple hours to be of use again, assuming Seraph didn't manage to really spike Valerian's progress.

 _[Group] Wolfe-pup: Okay so give Fira and me a couple hours while you two do whatever and we'll catch up to you, okay?_

 _[Group] Valerian: Am I seriously that slow?_

 _[Group] Wolfe-pup: You'll get better! You've never done this before, right? I've been playing MMOs for like, twelve years now okay. Some things are pretty universal and it gives you a major edge._

 _[Group] Valerian: Twelve years?_

 _[Group] Wolfe-pup: Maybe? I mean it might be a little more. I wasn't a teenager yet, I was like… idk, ten or something? And Calamity Strikes was still pretty new. I've just gotten bored since they haven't come out with any real solid content updates for a few years. Thought I'd try this out. Same for Seraph. We were guildies on there and preordered this so we could try it out together. MMOs are way better with friends._

 _[Group] Wolfe-pup: Hey, you wanna join our guild? Then you'll always have someone to play with if I'm not on._

 _[Group] Seraph: You actually log out? That implies you have a life._

 _[Group] Wolfe-pup: Scandalous, I know. So? Val? Fira, you?_

 _[Group] Hellfiragan: Sure._

 _[Group] Valerian: Okay? I don't know much about them. Just groups that play together?_

 _[Group] Wolfe-pup: Yeah, pretty much! You get bonuses too. Remind me when I'm back on my main, ok?_

 _[Group] Wingedancient: I will. Go get leveling._

 _[Group] Wolfe-pup: You got it chief! Come on Fira, grab up all the quests here and we'll get grinding. See you two in a couple hours!_

 _[Group] Wolfe-pup: Oh hey, do you want to jump on Discord or something and make up a team channel? So we don't keep stopping to type?_

 _[Group] Wingedancient: Case in point. I'll connect, you're using the usual one?_

 _[Group] Wolfe-pup: You got it._

 _[Group] Valerian: What's Discord?_

 _[Group] Wolfe-pup: It's a new chat system. You can do text chat, but it's got the option for voice chat. Just google it, download, and we'll walk you through the rest._

Genesis was familiar with the program, given he'd heard his brothers using it, so it didn't take long to set up his own to run in the background, going by his character name for convenience. A quick exchange of names with the others and they were all invited to Wolfe's channel.

There was a moment of static, then a squeak before a delighted tenor. "Hey guys, you all in? I'm Wolfe."

"Hi Wolfe." The second voice startled Genesis a little, oddly familiar though he couldn't have said from where. "I'm… Valerian."

"Kinda weird to say it out loud the first time, isn't it?" Wolfe chuckled. "I know the feeling. So… Seraph, say hi."

" _Hi_." There was a surprising amount of indulgent amusement just in one syllable, clear familiarity between them.

"And I suppose I'll introduce myself as Firagan," Genesis said, smiling a little. "Let's play."

"GAME ON!"


End file.
